Focus needed on Metro Stations...

Last evening I noticed contractors starting to work on Mysore Road Station. BMRC's June NewsLetter claims to have awarded most (if not all - I didn't count) of Metro Station related works.

If they started work, they should have drawn station-specific design plans, to the last brick & tile. Shouldn't we be pressing to obtain and analyze these detailed designs? Metro is the most important traffic related project in our city - efficiency of integration with other modes of transport at its stations will decide its effectiveness.

Integration, Amenities, Bus Bays, Pedestian Plans, Interchanges.... List is long. And all we have seen are preliminary sketches..... How do we get our hands on the details? Where do we start? Write to BMRC? Talk to Contractors? Talk to BMTC / BTP / BMLTA?

Comments

Dear Ravi, nobody has focussed on the stations as you say, you have raised a very important issue regarding the metro,we should be looking at the station designs at the earliest, because stations are the interface to the commuters. I suppose we can ask BMRC for stations designs? I am game for it, need to see how we can lay hands on the stations designs for analysis.

Today on bmrc site i observed tenders floated for north(yeswanthpur-peenya) extension and south( RV road station-puttenahalli cross) along with 3 nos. of elevated stations with each tender. BMRC has invited tenders for both via-duct and stations together in a single package for the extensions.

Came across this site www.dka.in, which belongs to an architectural firm that claims to be designing 11 elevated stations of the Bangalore Metro, including 5 in the northern extension from Yeshwantpur to Hessarghatta. You can see the staion renderings by clicking on 'Architecture' and then 'Aviation' or just go to http://www.hybridarch.com...

Most of the renderings are familiar from the BMRC site, although some are from a different perspective. There are 3 new ones, possibly from the north extension segment (designs of which have not been revealed on the BMRC Site). One of them (below) is identified as Peenya Industrial Area, but the other 2 are not identified.

A couple of these new renderings show the bus lanes integrated into the area below the staion, which should be of interest to Praja folks.

Glad "n" pointed out (in another comment) that DKA are the architects of 11 Metro Stations. Makes sense to contact them to see whether there is still any scope in the designs to incorporate healthy water management practices including green landscaping etc. Also world class toilet facilities, ecologically sustainable lights (solar lights with LED bulbs) etc.

Thanks PSA garu for initiating a discussion with Mr. Indraneel Datta. Shall look forward to Prajagalus joining PSA and me in meeting this architect to ensure Bengaluru citizens are not short changed in developing our own unique stations with a Bengaluru stamp on it.

BMRCL should publish their station plans out for everyone to see. I don't understand their hesitancy in doing so, even after requesting for it.

As Naveen suggested in this thread, they might have gone into their shell to avoid further delays.. but, will that help anyone? Are the stations going to be marked 'Entry only for BMRCL officials" after they are built?

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) has signed a first-of-its-kind joint venture with realty firm Mantri Developers to develop a multi crore commercial hub-cum-metro station at Malleshwaram, north Bangalore.

This had to happen at some point, & I'm not sure anything is wrong with this new development, except that information to the public has beenscanty (Perhaps to avoid PILs & the ensuing delays).

Fact-1: Ph-1 of the Metro is said to cost over 10,800 crs, which is nearly 70% in excess of 2006 projections. Such mammoth investments cannot be sustained entirely with govt funding & loans. Private funding is the only other available option.

Fact-2: As is known to all, most metro systems (in & outside India) find it hard to operate only through revenues from fare collections. Some form of real estate revenue is also used to sustain such systems in the long run.

Fact-3: DMRC has gained experience with leasing of metro real estate to supplement it's income. Mumbai Metro (& Mono) are being built on PPP models. Hyderabad is also exploring ways to tap private investment for it's Metro. Thus, the state & central govts willbe spared from meeting expenses entirely on their own for construction, thus saving public money.

Fact-4: It isn't unusual elsewhere in the world for travellers (air, metro, inter-city train or even bus) to encounter many commercial establishments at airports, metro or train stations or even at bus terminuses.

So, what's the big deal ? We have just gotten used to govt subsidy for too long & for just about everything. They cannot be expected to fund every expensive infrastructure project, particularly when costs are excessive to deliver optimum quality. When elevated toll roads, flyovers & highways are being built with private capital,what is the harm in using similar sources to fund Metro construction ? I think we will see a lot more of this for Ph-2 since scarce public money cannot be funneled into such mega projects - get the private parties to fund it & dish out some largesse to them in return & get the best in town !!

There are benefits too - BMRCL will earn 1% for 30 years, followed by 5%. Land will still belong to BMRCL, Mantri is spending 35crs for the station, etc.
Thus, it does seem a fair enough deal on the face of it, though I'm not an expert on financials !

Without question It is a good deal. If BMRCL had acquired it would have to first pay compensation, additionally spend money on the station, then either leave the area blank or get into real estate business by inviting a private player to build something on its land on maybe the same terms. Now we have got the same result but without the expenditure on station & compensation. I would assume anybody building the station will not have a single exit going only into the mall. We have to expect reasonable amount of common sense from the builders.

I'm not against the concept of private participation. Certainly an innovative method to reduce debt burden (which might very well be just a good excuse to justify a decision taken!). But my cry part is here:

Per the news report (posted by Srinidhi above), BMRCL issued notification to acquire 5 acres of (what was) Mantri property, and had acquired it!. So what do you expect? Hand over the land to BMRCL, just like every one of those property owners with their land notified for Namma Metro use.

What happened instead is a seemingly non-transparent deal (as I see it, with the info we have so far). I'm sure it benefits BMRCL (and us as a result), but clearly, there is something in it for Mantri too.

In my book, this should have taken a different course. BMRCL takes over the land first. Mantri, amongst others, are asked to bid on this station+tower deal. BMRCL issues a station spec detailing out what is expected of the developers. Developers compete and bid to the spec. Choose the best deal offered by a competent developer. If Mantri's techno-commercial offer was the best, they are the choice.

Without any transparency as we see it today, I think we should certainly question the methodology here. I just hope that BMRCL has followed due process, ensuring that the stake holders who pay up in the end (all of us) do not get short changed.

And while at it, if it is good for MVM station, why not enlist more such locations for commercial development? Remember HYD metro?

Going by past news reports, I think this deal was pushed through quickly to prevent long legal battles in court that might have delayed the Metro further. You are right in stating that ideally, due process should have been followed, but by favoring Mantri, who had successfully bid for the land in question, they certainly seem to have bent the rules, at least to some extent, but given the pressing need for completion of the Metro, maybe this was the only option, though somewhat questionable.

If Mantri can assure 1% of the revenues..they would surely have planned for lot more revenue generation for themselves..apartments costing 1Cr upwards etc...and mall space..etc...they will think only like builders!

What is the expertise they have for putting up a public metro station ? To that extent, BMRCL themselves are at best in various stages of construction of metro stations only..

We have seen lot of short comings at BIAL which is a PPP and built by 'experts' in that field..and what can be expected of an apartment builder here!

Shouldn't there be transparency in the plans at least here?

Its not that PPP's are unwelcome, but putting down detailed clauses for these agrements are very important..to safe gaurd public interests!

The last thing anyone wants is public in hurry to catch a train getting slowed down because of an unattended shopping trolley or other over zealous shoppers!

We dont need a mall with a train station...maybe a train station with a mall!

This seems to be more of an arrangement to compensate Mantri for acquiring their land (which, being prime real estate, would be extremely expensive). Instead of paying humongous amounts as compensation, BMRCL has just let Mantri undertake real estate development around the station. Works out cheaper and better for all parties concerned, including the general public - after all, Mantri is one of the more reputed builders around.

The concept seems similar to a TDR - except that the development is being carried out in the same area.

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